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Last rad cold at the bottom - bit of an odd one as I don't think its blocked...

Discuss Last rad cold at the bottom - bit of an odd one as I don't think its blocked... in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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M7R

The last rad in my system, the down stair hall rad, seems to be showing signs of being blocked... but I don't think it is.. heres the info...

The system was installed by the neighbor in the late 60s early 70s, (neighbour still loves next door, they have been in since the house was built in 56!)

it did have a Baxi Bermudia back boiler system, we still have the fire but about 4 years ago while the last owner was in she had a new Vitedons W100 boiler fitted in the bathroom..she had it fitted due to being a pensioner so got it on a grant I believe.. at the same time the boiler was fitted the back boiler was by passed next to the boiler, and the bathroom rad was put on its own loop.

when we moved in 2 years ago I removed all the rads bar the 2 curved ones in the bays (which are going this summer to be replaced by 2 doubles on the other wall as getting 2 curved rads is stupid money!) and replaced them with rads from Wickes, along with adjustable and fixed length adapters to convert the imperial length old rad spacing to slightly smaller metric rads.

I dont know if it has been like this from day one, but certinally for the last 6 months, the hall rad which is the last on the loop and a new rad seems to have the issue of the hot water coming in, going up the first 2 water jackets, and the top being hot, and thats it.. the middle is warm, and the bottom is pretty much room temp, even only 3" from, the inlet!!! (the outlets never red hot either!)

Last weekend I cleaned out the header - see my other post for the mushroom farm I had gown in less than 2 years in there!!! - and filled the system with Sentinal X800 cleaner, which has had a week to work its magic! the rads used to bleed clear, but after I messed around with the system they started to bleed charcoal...emptied, refilled the system and added the x800, and over then today with a mate I dried the system again, wiped down the header (charcoal water but no rust bits etc in there..) and then took off the hall rad, flushed it through with the hose, via the bottom inlets and the top where the blank and vent should be.... when blasting the water through the inlet it came out of the outlet pretty quick, like it was just running along the bottom water way and not up, along the top and back down! it was black-sih for the first few second then charcoal and then clear pretty quick.

we also did the old bay rad before it, got some black water out of it but not masses...

Then we refilled the system with clean water, bleed all the rads, kicked the pump in for 10 mins on high to dilute any crub in the pipes we couldn't get out (with the hall rad locked off to stop any crud going in there)..after 10 mins, drained again, and it was pretty clear really...

then refilled with another shot of X800, the heating has been on for a few hours now, pump on speed 3 as it says and the hall rad is as before, only hot on the top and the first couple of water jackets.. I have been and balanced the system but its made no odds..the old bay rad which is before it red hot top to bottom all the way along, as are the others...

so what do people think? I have even tried hitting the rad at the bottom with a plastic hammer encase there is any crud stuck and the vibration will dis lodge it.. but it doesn't seem to have made any odds...

The rad is a single 1450mm, if that makes and odds, and I am sure it is the last on the loop..

any help of suggestions would be apprecaited, the hall isnt that cold... but it bugs me its not right as all the heat goes straight up the stairs, and I am a bit OCD about things being right..

Cheers

Karl
 
A Friend of mine recently had a problem with his boiler over pressurising due to a failed part, he was convinced he could fix without replacing the part. He drained down and flushed his system numerous times and was convinced the system is clean. He has disturbed debri in the return leg from a rad and now has similar to yourself.
From everything you have written i still believe you need to powerflush the system and balance correctly as you have indicated all rads are currently set the same.
 
I thought of that but was advised against it due to some bits of the system being 40 years old, there was a higher risk of leaks, and little to gain really.
 
There is obviously a risk but more often than not it only ever helps and is normally pretty straight forward to achieve. Make sure your boiler has an overheat stat on it though.
 
I haven't seen any of the pipe work as it is all under the floor boards, I will ask next door next time I see him in the week, see if he remembers how he imbed t all in, but I doubt there is a by pass
 
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